This was a bit of a miss for me. I didn't really think the funny parts were all that funny, maybe because there were so many of them, as if the author threw in every quirky and silly situation she thought of.
There are certainly weightier topics in this book exploring grief, parental approval, starting over, which is nice.

I received a dARC from the publisher via Netgalley; this is my honest review.

After losing her job, single mum Cath needs an income, so accepts a student to live with them. She doesn't expect Dan, a mature student. I would have liked to have seen something from Dan's point of view.

Sal Thomas's writing is engaging and witty and I truly wanted to love this story, but after a while I found myself growing weary of the constant humor. While readers who relish exaggerated and long-winded narrations of embarrassing situations will likely find themselves in fits of laughter, I, unfortunately, started to get bored.

Thanks to the author, Sal Thomas, the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Cath is a single mom fast approaching her 40th Birthday and decides to take in a lodger!

I knew this would be a fun read from the beginning and it was just that.

Easy to read

A great debut novel by Sal Thomas will definitely read more by her.

A lovely lighthearted romance by debut novelist Sal Thomas. The story is centred around Cath who after being widowed runs a typically dysfunctional house with her 3 children. As luck would have it for struggling Cath she finds herself unexpectadly unemployed and in a bid to retain a little normality she takes on a lodger. Having a big heart she also unofficially takes on a tutoring role to some of her former pupils and finds a growing online following of admirers. As the novel progresses we see Cath growing more fond of Dan and threaded throughout is a "will they wont they" kind of trope. A well written novel which I found easy to dip in and out of but always looked forward to finding out what happened next, I look forward to reading future works by Sal Thomas

This was such a nice read. It had me laughing out loud at times. Cath is a widowed mum of three - daughter Leanne is off to uni, and she's at home with 12 year old Eric and toddler Jack. She agrees to taking in an American student as a lodger but does not expect 36 year old, very fit, Dan. Accident prone, clumsy Cath and kind, hot Dan make for an unlikely pairing. Cath's awkwardness around Dan makes it even funnier. Add the rest of the cast - louder than life best friend Sindy and straight talking father in law Geoff and it makes for a really entertaining feelgood read. #netgalley #theaccidentalhousemate

A fun loving story with good characters that are believable . A real romcom and worthy of 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

You can not help but root for the characters in this book. Sal did such a great job creating real and honest characters, with relatable lives and problems. Cath is loveable, and annoying. Frustrating but honest. The story started off slow, but once I got into the thick of it, I was hooked.

If you've read the other reviews, you've read the synopsis- Cath is a 39 year old widow and single mom of 3. Depressing right off the bat, but Cath tries to make the best of everything. She was voted most likely to succeed and she's determined to succeed! But first, she needs extra money to do it, so she takes on an extra lodger. Cue the life changes about to happen (especially making big changes in the year before her 40th birthday)!

There were some laugh out moments but for the most part, Cath was just so awkward, she's straight up cringe. I also never saw the chemistry between her and Dan. She would complain about how immature he was, despite only being 3 years younger than her. I didn't ship the romance but I love Cath's tutoring sessions, videos and her relationship with her students,!

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

It's a romantic comedy that actually makes me laugh out loud. Most of the characters are lovable, although her little group of students are my favorites. It is very well written, and I look forward to reading more Sal Thomas books in the future..

I was genuinely hooked within the first few pages, this is such a heartfelt story and Kath is such an honest depiction of a single mum struggling through the stresses of day to day life and riding the wave of grief. I love the fact she is written in an unapologetic way and she goes through every emotion possible. I love the way Daniel is written too, and their connection and chemistry is pitched perfectly. All the characters are just wonderful and just couldnt stop reading. I really hope @salthomasauthor writes more in this genre because I am in love with her writing style and character development.

The absolute best story I have read in a long time. Will be sharing this one with everyone I know! This was cute as pie!

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
SPICE: 🔥🔥.5
This was a tale of two books. The first half, which is what I would call the pre-Dan section, was a bit cringe and ho-hum, but I was really glad I stuck it out because the post-Dan section was a whole lot better.

Cath is stuck in a rut. A single mum to three, she is knocking on 40 with a dead-end job, suppressing her grief for her late husband. When her eldest moves away for college, she needed to rent out the free room. A student -- referred by a friend -- took up the offer, but to Cath's surprise, Dan was less of a boy and more of a man kind of student. And everyone, except for Cath, seems to adjust well enough to his stay in Casa Beckinsale.

Just get through the pre-Dan section. That is all I will say about that half.

As for the second half, it will take you on a fun, laugh-out-loud ride about finding yourself. I liked the overall arc of Cath's story, though I was a little wary about the ups and downs, especially the foray into getting sucked in by social media popularity.

While Cath and Dan's love story was a fun slow-burn strangers-to-friends-to-lovers, it was Cath's family and best friend that stole the show for me. As someone who has a Sindy in my life, never let that friend go.

Grief is a wild thing that is never the same for anyone, and this read captured that wholeheartedly and approached it with imperfection and humanity. As someone who is still grieving, I felt that deeply in my soul, which is why I am rating this book solely on the post-Dan half.

A lot of the spice was closed-door, though there was an earlier scene with Dan and his fling and his nether regions and Cath that had me rolling.

This (post-Dan) was a great read for someone who needs a loving balm for a grieving soul.

** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book. Thank you to Sal Thomas, One More Chapter, Harper Collins UK, and NetGalley for providing an ARC. **

Sal Thomas - The Accidental Housemate.

When we are told that a book is ‘hilariously funny’ it doesn’t always live up to the claim. However, #TheAccidentalHousemate really is a laugh out loud, do a little wee (if you’re a lady of a certain age) sort of book.
Sal Thomas writes with a raw and brutally honest humour that put me in mind of Joanna Bolouri and Shari Low.

Cath is our almost 40 year old heroine. She has three kids, who were all quite unique, a dead partner whose ashes reside in the kitchen where he can still be a part of the daily mayhem of family life. A best friend who is slightly bonkers, but hugely loyal and a true friend. And then there’s Dan…. Gorgeous, lovely Dan, Cath’s accidental lodger.
Along with a handful of other colourful characters, Sal Thomas has created a very quirky, but warm and loveable community of people in this book.

I loved Cath, with her razor sharp wit, she bounces from day to day, taking life’s knocks on the chin. Cath has a big heart and I was very moved by the kindness and support she showed to her students.
I felt for Cath in so many of the situations that she found herself in.
Ultimately Cath is a little chaotic, but does her absolute best for everybody in her life. She deserves nothing less than to find her happily ever after.

#TheAccidentalHousemate is a lively story, with many ups and downs. You’ll be swept along on this rollercoaster ride and you’ll feel every high and low that this loveable bunch go through.

Sal Thomas has an engaging writing style. She will effortlessly make you howl with laughter then by the next page you’ll be sobbing both happy and sad tears.

Just incase you hadn’t guessed. I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!
It’s funny, quirky, touching, raw, inspiring, charming and will leave you on a big smiley high.

This is an outstanding debut novel. Well done Sal Thomas…. I can’t wait to read what you write next.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

With thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources, Netgalley and Harper Collins Uk for a digital arc of this title.

When Cath loses her job and her eldest goes off to university, to make ends meet Cath decides to get in a lodger, but when he turns up, he’s not what she expected, but might be what she needs.

This was a funny and heartwarming read that I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at. I loved the main character of Cath and felt for her at times, Sal gives us a realistic and relatable character that carries this book, you won’t want to put it down.

This book was an absolute tonic!! I loved everything about it from the storyline, the will they won't they romace, the characters, the protagonists journey of self discovery and all the humour!

Set in Birmingham it brought many memories of my own childhood. And I laughed so much at the sentence about why brummies say mom but everyone else says mum. I regularly have this argument with my non brummie husband who insists my son writes mum 'properly' in my cards! We don't know why we say mom we just do!!

All in all this was a brilliant beach read, humorous (I laughed aloud so many times) quirky, inspiring and threw in a little romance to the mix, although this was not the main draw of the story. The main focus was the journey Cath took and how she found herself and her family.

I highly recommend this one!

The Accidental Housemate is both heartwarming and humorous, I don’t think I have laughed so much during a romcom read in a long time. The humour is completely self-deprecating which I really loved, really relatable and very British.

I thought this was such a well written story, it really does grip you from the start. It covers love, grief and loss, which it does so well and really does represent grief so realistically but, it’s also about new beginnings, reinvention and self belief. I adored the characters, could be because I could see myself so much in them as they are geeky, awkward and because of these I found them so much more loveable.

The only minor criticism is that o felt the ending was a bit too fast, it felt a bit squeezed in and I would have liked it a bit slower and more paced. But that’s not to say I still didn’t enjoy it, just wanted more. It’s a fantastic debut and I wouldn’t have known at all this was Sal Thomas’s first novel.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Cath’s life is in a bit of a mess – recently widowed (well, they never actually got married) she has also lost her job as a teacher’s aide due to unfair circumstances, and with her eldest daughter, Leanne heading off to University – Cath realises she needs to do something to bring in some extra cash – and fast.

When one of her former colleagues suggests to Cath that she should take in a lodger, who is a friend of a friend, Cath resides herself to having a young teenager from America living in her home. What Cath isn’t prepared for is that her lodger, Dan, is 36 years old, very outgoing, and charming. The more time Cath and Dan spend together, the more they seemingly get on with each other, and Dan easily fits into their (sometimes quite chaotic) family life.

As the story develops, we can see the obvious attraction between Catch and Dan. Will they give in to their feelings and give love a chance? The Accidental Housemate is a beautifully written story, with moments of pure laugh-out-loud fun, but also exploring emotional topics such as grief, and re-finding yourself when you have become lost in life. With characters that are beautifully written, you can’t help but become invested in their journey. I totally recommend this book to everyone as a must-read.

I enjoyed this book so much. I laughed out loud & as a widow myself, I empathised with Cath!
Her humour, & self-deprecating attitude appealed to me. Her student lodger was not as expected at all, & it turns her & her children's life upside down.
Great relatable characters that make this such a good book. Highly recommended!

This was such a funny story and a little bonkers which added to its charm. The main character was completely out of her depth and just couldn't control her two children. This was a brilliant book and perfect for a summer read. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.